Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

This question is of the utmost importance, particularly for the south east in view of the very disappointing news of the major loss of employment in Waterford with the closure of the TalkTalk facility. When does the Minister expect the HEA to sign off on the relevant performance criteria? Will he encourage the institutes of technology to work together to achieve university status? Is that his view at this stage? At the end of March, in reply to a question from Deputy Halligan, he was clear in stating he did not want rebranding or relabelling of institutes of higher education. I totally agree. Following a Government meeting in early September, it was reported in the national press that the Government would accelerate the provision of a new technological university in Waterford, following the announcement of the job losses mentioned. Is the Minister taking a different view now with regard to the needs of the south east than he did earlier in the year?

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